Luggage protector

ABSTRACT

A luggage protector having closure means extending around the periphery thereof to the opposite ends of an opening adapted for protrusion of a luggage handle therethrough.

United States Patent [191 Cook [451 Aug. 26, 1975 LUGGAGE PROTECTOR [76] Inventor: Mary Cook, 202 W. 6th, Columbia,

Tenn. 38401 [22] Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 327,750

[52] US. Cl. 190/26; 150/52 R [51] Int. Cl. A45c 13/00 [58] Field of Search 190/26, 412; 150/52 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Droutman 150/52 R Duskin Q 190/26 .Iaffe 190/26 Primary ExaminerDona1d F. Norton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Abe Hatcher 5 7 ABSTRACT A luggage protector having closure means extending around the periphery thereof to the opposite ends of an opening adapted for protrusion of a luggage handle therethrough.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LUGGAGE PROTECTOR 1. Field of the Invention K This invention relates to luggage protectors.v More particularly, it relates to a luggage protector adapted to fit in a unitary manner over an entire piece of bagg ag'e except for the handle.

2. Description of the Prior Art Over the years luggage protectors have been developed to shield items of baggage and the like and to protect them from the elements and from marring or scuffing of the surface thereof. To date, however, there has been little commercialization of such, probably due to their complicated nature and the difficulty of getting them quickly off of the items to be protected thereby, for example, when passengersbags must be opened for airport inspection before boarding planes. One such prior art luggage protector is described in Jaffe US. Pat. No. 2,724,467, wherein the luggage cover is divided into two parts and apparently does not cover or protect the bottom of the article over which it is placed. Furthermore, assembling and disassembling the .laffe cover over the article to be protected thereby is a rather complex procedure. Thus, for example, when in a long line at an airport, it would be difficult for a passenger to rapidly display the contents of the baggage to an inspector before boarding his plane.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 1 have solved such problems by providing a unitary luggage protector substantially of one part or piece.

For a closure member I provide a slide type of fastener, such a zipper, dividing the protector substantially in half and running all the way around it except for a slit or opening left for protrusion of the handle of the attache case, handbag, briefcase, suitcase or like object around which it is adapted to be placed. The article to be covered or protected may be placed inside my luggage protector by unzipping the protector either all the way or just enough for the article to be inserted therein endwise or from the bottom, after which it is a simple matter to enclose itcompletely, except for the carrying handle, by closing the zipper.

The material of which the protective cover of the invention is made is not critical, provided it is sufficiently loose or flexible to fit over and enclose the article to be carried therein. For example, the protector material may be leather, canvas, cloth, twill, cotton, wool, plastic e.g.. polyethylene or polypropylene) or the like. It may be patterned, if desired, for example, with an attractive wood grain, alligator or like design. When I refer herein to the fact that the luggage cover must be flexible, or made of loose or flexible material, I mean that the material of which it is made must not be of fixed shape so that it will not fit over the article to be covered thereby or encased therein. In other words, the material need not be elastic or stretchable as such, althoough it may be according to the invention, but only of sufficiently loose construction that it will fit over the article to be encased therein when the zipper is opened enough for at least an end of the article to fit through the opening thus made.

The protector may be contoured so as to fit closely over the corners of the article over which it is used, for example, by reenforcing it at intervals spaced sufficiently far apart to fall on or take shape at the corners of the article, as by folding over and seaming. For example, portions of the protector adapted to fit over luggage corners may be reenforced', to help the protector take the shape of and fit over the comers of the object to be inserted therein and protected thereby. More specifically, the protector may be folded back upon itself in four spaced-apart areas and the folds stitched in place if it is to cover a flexible suitcase with rounded or roof-shaped sides and four bottom corners, or in eight areas if to cover a hard-walled suitcase with rectangular sides, ends, top and bottom. The size of the protective cover of the invention may be varied so as to make it fit anything from the smallest handbag to the largest trunk. If desired, the entire item, or just corner portions, such as those referred to hereinabove, may be made of an elastic material which will stretch to fit more than one-sized object.

The protector may be of any desired color or pattern, even clear, if it is desired to reveal the outer finish or texture of the article enclosed thereby.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawing depicts schematically upright, end, flat or lying-down, and open-ended views of the luggage protector-of the invention covering a suitcase or like travel case.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a view from one side of the luggage protector of the invention showing it in zipped-up form covering a suitcase or attache case except for a protruding handle in carrying position. I

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from one end of the luggage protector as it covers a piece of baggage except for a protruding handle lying flat.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the luggage protector of the invention with the viewer looking at it from the top as it fits over a suitcase or attache case in a flat or lying-on-the-floor position. A handle extending through a slit in the top portion of the cover falls down along the top side toward the viewer.

FIG. 4 is an open-ended view showing a zipper partly open so as to reveal the protected article inside the luggage protector.

In the drawing (all the figures or views), the cover 10 over suitcase or other protected article 12 has a slidetype fastener such as a zipper 14 with puller head 16. The fastener runs all the way around the cover from one end of slit or opening 18, through which the handle of underlying attache case or suitcase protrudes, to the other, including bottom and far end portions not shown). Protector 10 fits in a contoured manner over' or around the suitcase or attache case 12 at corners 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34. Corners may be appropriately reenforced by folds and/or stitches or thelike as desired.

While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, the claims appended hereto are intended to encompass all embodiments which fall within the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention and certain preferred embodiments thereof, I claim:

1. A luggage protector comprising a unitary body of flexible material with no openings therein except a single slit opening for a handle, said body being adapted for insertion therein of a luggage article having a handle, said body having a single closure member in a forced areas therein spaced sufficiently apart so as to fit over corners of said luggage article.

3. The luggage protector of claim 1 wherein the closure member and channel therefor comprise a zipper which, when in a partially opened condition, leaves an opening of sufficient size for insertion therein endwise of a luggage article. 

1. A luggage protector comprising a unitary body of flexible material with no openings therein except a single slit opening for a handle, said body being adapted for insertion therein of a luggage article having a handle, said body having a single closure member in a channel extending all the way around said body from one end of said single slit opening to the other end of said single slit opening, said channel dividing said body into substantially equal halves, said slit opening being adapted for protrusion of said handle therethrough and said closure member enabling said body to be opened all the way around same from one end of said slit opening to the other.
 2. The luggage protector of claim 1 having reenforced areas therein spaced sufficiently apart so as to fit over corners of said luggage article.
 3. The luggage protector of claim 1 wherein the closure member and channel therefor comprise a zipper which, when in a partially opened condition, leaves an opening of sufficient size for insertion therEin endwise of a luggage article. 